Review
Seconds
- Director
- John Frankenheimer
- Year
- 1966
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- a.k.a. Vincent
- Review date
- Wednesday, January 31, 2001
I had long wanted to see this film and my expectations probably grew bigger every day that I didn't see it. Naturally then I was disappointed when I had the opportunity to see it last week, but a few days later I appreciate it a little more, if not as much as I thought I would before I saw it.
The movie centers around a middle-aged man named Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph), who has lost pretty much everything worth living for, except his career. One day he gets a message from a friend who advises him to go to a corporation that he says will enrich his life.
When he gets there it turns out that this business will give him a new identity and a new look. They will fake his death and through plastic surgery will make him appear twenty years younger. He agrees to this and is “reborn” as Tony Wilson (Rock Hudson). But after his initial enthusiasm he quickly learns that it wasn't his age and appearance that made him unhappy earlier and he wants to change back, but is that possible...?
It sounds like a thriller alright, but as I said it never creates any real suspense. The film takes itself quite seriously, there isn't a trace of humor to be found anywhere. The ending is as downbeat as possible. The film always remains strangely fascinating, but it never fully develops into anything substantial. Rock Hudson is impressive though in the main role.
The main problem that the film has lies not in the coldness, but in the premise. It is never really explained why the second chance Hamilton was given failed, and to a lesser extent it is pretty hard to believe that the middle-aged man could emerge from plastic surgery looking like Rock Hudson, a man much taller and with a very different body-shape.
Technically however the film nears perfection. Frankenheimer always was a bit of a show-off director, particularly in the 60’s, but he controls himself reasonably here. The camera-work is the most impressive thing about the movie. The man responsible for that was veteran James Wong Howe. He and Frankenheimer reached some striking shots by, I guess, strapping the camera to the chests and backs of some of the actors. The use of light and shadow always makes the film interesting to look at. There's a pretty good score by Jerry Goldsmith. Oh, and there is probably mainstream cinema's first full frontal nudity.
The title sequence reminded me somewhat to that of Vertigo, which is probably intentional. Both films deal with men who were given a second opportunity, but both ended in disappointments.
Frankenheimer always was a good and interesting director, he has to be if he is still working to this day (he recently made the Robert De Niro film Ronin) In the sixties he was pretty much the hottest director around, and responsible for the greatest of conspiracy thrillers The Manchurian Candidate (1962). This film isn't up to that standard, but then again very few films are. I would still recommend it, but remember it is not as good as you think it will be. Maybe it will be better the second time I see it.
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